Ventricular Arrhythmias in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy- Can We Ever Predict Them?

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is characterized by gross cardiac and myocyte hypertrophy, myocyte disarray, and interstitial fibrosis. This condition is relatively common, with a prevalence of about 1:500 in the general population. Most patients with HCM are either asymptomatic or have only minimal symptoms. In general, HCM is a relatively benign disease with an annual mortality rate of slightly less than 1% in unselected HCM populations [1,2]. However, sudden cardiac death (SCD) may be the first manifestation of the disease. Approximately 60% to 70% of all patients with HCM die suddenly [3], and the fatal event is generally assumed, though not proven so far, due to ventricular arrhythmias.